And I don’t know how to plough,
And I don’t know how to harrow.
When will I learn to sow well?
I don’t know how to drink,
And how to make a treat.
When will I learn to welcome fair people?

The tablecloth
That covers a table
Should have long fringe,
And may the guests at the table
For a long time live.

The ladder has stairs,
Oh, eight,
But if I count again
They’ll be seven, 
But if I count again
They’ll be seven.

If I were born again,
Grow up again,
I’d like to be a lad again
Of seventeen years of age.
I’d like to be a lad again
Of seventeen years of age.

The kneaded dough
And baked loaf of bread
To turn it into flour
There is no way,
To turn it into flour
There is no way.

Thank you, dear mother,
Thank you, dear father,
They put me in the cradle
And lulled me to sleep,
They put me in the cradle
And lulled me to sleep.

Let’s have fun and make some merry, girls, 
Let us make a rope out of sand,
Let’s have fun and make some merry, girls, 
Let us make a rope out of sand.
The sand rope can be stretched without end,
But our lives will never last without end,
The rope made of sand stretches without end,
But our lives will never last without end,
The rope made of sand stretches without end,
But our lives will never last without end,

In your house the floor turned out painted,
And we will now paint our floor as well,
In your house the floor turned out painted,
And we will now paint our floor as well,
As you’ll welcome us today,
We will welcome you tomorrow,
As you will welcome us today,
We will welcome you tomorrow,

If you harness a horse to ride,
Then the best one you choose,
Let it run shaking reins,
If you harness a horse to ride,
Then the best one choose,
Let it run shaking reins.
If you search for a friend,
Then the best one you choose,
Not to lament over the life you spent, 
If you search for a friend,
Then the best one you choose,
Not to lament over the life you spent, 

Up above there’s, oh, a thunder
And beneath the earth’s shaking,
Up above there’s, oh, a thunder
And beneath the earth’s shaking.
Earth’s core is a mother and a father, 
We are then the flowers of the Earth,
Earth’s core is a mother and a father, 
We are then the flowers of the Earth,

In a new house we’ll sit by the hearth,
Cook some fish like perch,
In a new house we’ll sit by the hearth,
Cook some fish like perch,
However fast
The fish seems to be,
Today it’s here, tomorrow it’s not,
Do not strive to be as fast
As the perch,  
Today we’re here, tomorrow we’re not.

Singing, singing strings,
The Mari lad Elnet is playing,
His back trembles and shakes,
He snaps with the fingers.

Let’s dance and sing together
Live our lives.
Altogether make merry,
And amuse them all.

Playing and laughing is the happiness,
For living we’re born and raised,
Grief and anger we’ll leave behind,
And will reach the happy life,
Grief and anger we’ll leave behind,
And will reach the happy life.

When I was a boy I went for night-watch,
The horse rolled in the stubble-field, in dew,
The horse rolled in the stubble-field, in dew.

My body’s got well-knit,
And I’ve grown smarter,
I seem to be born while the eddish grew, 
I seem to be born while the eddish grew.

Many people grieve and sob,
Saying good-bye to our friend,
Oh, saying good-bye to our friend,
Oh, saying good-bye to our friend.

A little house becomes cozy,
When in bloom in the window is the rose,
Oh, when in bloom in the window is the rose,
Oh, when in bloom in the window is the rose.
	
A distant friend becomes closer,
When you write him letters and send them,
Oh, when you write him letters and send them,
Oh, when you write him letters and send them.

When I walk along the street,
Never I keep silence, 
Never I keep silence, 
I either sing, or whistle,
Or come to see somebody,
Or come to see somebody.

And it doesn’t matter 
That it’s the end of war,
That it’s the end of war,
High time to bid our farewell: 
The shorter the parting, the less tears,
The shorter the parting, the less tears.

Why do we need the Sylva?
To float on rafts downstream, 
To float on rafts downstream! 
Why do we need our friends?
To play and have fun with them,
To play and have fun with them.

A steamer’s sailing out into the Sylva,
Twelve windows and two doors,
Twelve windows and two doors.
A soldier’s standing at the window 
And waving good-bye with a white cloth, 
And waving good-bye with a white cloth, 

Why it feels so nicely at the Sylva?
A nightingale’s song is so pleasurable,
A nightingale’s song is so pleasurable.
Who’s agreeable for us?
The one you love is the agreeable,
The one you love is the agreeable.

Wherever you go they are alike
These yellow flowers,
These yellow flowers,
Wherever you go any way
Your motherland is above all, 
Your motherland is above all.

Our street is the best-looking,
But walking hand in hand is oh so hard, 
But walking hand in hand is oh so hard, 
Our street is the best-looking,
But walking hand in hand is oh so hard, 
But walking hand in hand is oh so hard, 

I will go out to the street and strain my ears,
I will go out to the street and strain my ears,
But I won’t hear say the dearest voices,
But I won’t hear say the dearest voices.

While I walked, sang and danced
I’ve lost my sweetheart.
Where have you gone? Where are you now?
I cannot find you here.

I can climb up the high mountain,
But will it be so fine?
I can climb up the high mountain,
But a higher one is there for me,
There’s a place,
You can’t reach even by a horse!

Bitterer than grieves, heavier than burdens 
Can’t live without a sweetheart anywhere.
The sorrow is so deep
That I can’t describe it.
My family came to visit me,
But cannot bring consolation.

The house is so bright,
And the kitchen is airy,
When I leave the place,
It will become more room.

Seen from afar so green 
Is the lovely field in crop,
And you remember suddenly
Old days and times.

When I go high above,
Give me both hands,
And like a pot flower,
You remember me. 

Soldier’s overcoat with a long skirt,
Even if you don’t want – they’ll dress you,
Even if you don’t want, oh, they’ll dress you,
Even if you don’t want, oh, they’ll dress you.

Even if you don’t want, oh, they’ll dress you.
Even if you don’t want, they’ll take you,
Even if you don’t want, they’ll take you,
Even if you don’t want, they’ll take you.

To a dark forest where a magpie wouldn’t fly
Why would a martin fly over there?
What would a martin fly over there?
What would a martin fly over there?

Faraway-faraway to a foreign land
Why would a young man go there? 
Why would a young man go there? 
Why would a young man go there? 

From one hill to another,
An elk with her baby are climbing over,
Oh, an elk with her baby are climbing over,
An old elk with her baby are climbing over,
An old elk with her baby are climbing over.

The son is facing a long road ahead,
His parents are facing great sorrow,
His parents are facing great sorrow,
His parents are facing great sorrow.

A long bridge is swaying for a while,
When two horses gallop on the bridge
Oh, when two horses gallop on the bridge,
Oh, when two horses gallop on the bridge,

Many people grieve and sob,
Saying good-bye to our friend,
Oh, saying good-bye to our friend,
Oh, saying good-bye to our friend.

The forest is so far, oh so far,
Only green tops of the trees to be seen 
Oh, green tops of the trees to be seen,
Oh, green tops of the trees to be seen.

Our friend is very far away,
Only letters with good news are delivered,
Oh, only letters with good news are delivered,
Oh, only letters with good news are delivered.

A little house will become so cozy,
If in the window you will put a rose,
Oh, in the window you will put a rose,
Oh, in the window you will put a rose. 

A distant friend becomes closer,
When you write him letters,
Oh, when you write him letters,

I spin a thread with the spinning-wheel.
Letter from my sweetheart and his photo, 
Letter from my sweetheart and his photo,
Letter from my sweetheart!
I read his letter,
And look at his photo
And I wait for his return,
And I wait for his return.
On my hands the bracelets are ringing. 
On one hand, they are made of shells,
On the other, they’re colorful beads.
If I wave with my hand – all will scatter,
One by one
I collect all the beads.
White scarf, oh, whiter than winter,
It is even hard to tie,
Oh, it is so hard to tie,
Oh, it is so hard to tie.

Oh, I remembered,
Remembered my family.
Cuckoo says ‘cuckoo’, counting lifetime.
Oh, I remembered,
Remembered my family.
Men like listening to cuckoos.

I went to the fir-grove,
It turned out to be very dense,
But no axe to cut my way through.
I went to the fir-grove,
It turned out so dense, 
But no axe to cut my way through.

I have got children,
I have got kinsfolk,
But no good friend to sit and talk.
I have got children,
I have got kinsfolk,
But no good friend to sit and talk.

Mari wedding, merry wedding,
Go head over heels!
Mari wedding, merry wedding,
Somersaulted and fell down.

Fell down, so fell down,
Seated in a trough, but there is water,
Fell down, so fell down,
Seated in a trough, but there is water.

You come through forest, and leave through forest,
Now a cuckoo wouldn’t not sing. 
You come through forest, and leave through forest,
Now a cuckoo wouldn’t not sing. 

Hundred twenty pails in a trough,
So funny and so lovely.
To see us and to hear us
A very good man has come.
Hundred twenty pails in a trough,
So funny and so lovely.
To see us and to hear us
A very good man has come.

Ri-ta-ta, Ri-ta-ta,
I scooped up water in galoshes.
I’ve been walking all the night
But my mother was not angry.

I’d like dancing, I’d like dancing,
But the floor’s rugged.
I would walk till the morning,
But at nights the path’s rugged.

Our Sylva is so deep,
Why not try the river?
Praised her son the mother,
Why not to go out with him?

Oh, my pal, where have you been?
Where have you wandered?
How lovely you snap your eyes,
Set my heart on fire!

Oh, my dear, without you,
I don’t go up the hill,
Tears blur my eyes,
When I watch you go.

If I were water from the Sylva,
I would meander as the river,
I would meander as the river.

If I were a wild wood berry,
I would drop in front of you.
I would drop in front of you.

Every river flows in its own way,
The meandering Sylva follows its scrolls,
The meandering Sylva follows its scrolls.

Every nation speaks its own language,
And the little heart is flaming up,
And the little heart is flaming up.

To open up a wicket gate,
We have to nail a bolt; what is to do?
We have to nail a bolt; what is to do?
We have to nail a bolt; what is to do?

You have never hung out through the night,
And called yourself my friend, but now what is to do?
And called yourself my friend, but now what is to do?
And called yourself my friend, but now what is to do?

When I walk along the street,
Never I keep silence, 
Ah, Never I keep silence, 
Ah, Never I keep silence, 

I either sing, or whistle,
Or come to see somebody,
Ah, come to see somebody.
Ah, come to see somebody.

If I stain a white apron
I don’t wanna wear it,
Ah, I don’t wanna wear it,
Ah, I don’t wanna wear it.
If my love cast me away,
I will leave and never look back,
Ah, I will go and never look back,
Ah, I will go and never look back.

A cuckoo sings and a nightingale warbles,
We will seed our lot of the field. 
People are talking, people are laughing,
Looking at these sweethearts.
Many guests have gathered,
And everyone looks at them.

Without the blue flowers,
Without the yellow flowers,
Would the meadow be so nice?
Without the blue flowers,
Without the yellow flowers,
Would the meadow be so nice?

Without the maiden,
Without the young chap,
Would the wedding be at its height?
Without the maiden,
Without the young chap,
Would the wedding be at its height?

Out of the aspen growing behind the garden,
We will make a tub for washing.
Out of the aspen growing behind the garden,
We will make a tub for washing.

Today, your maiden and our young chap 
We will marry off. 
Today, your maiden and our young chap 
We will marry off. 

A mirror is on the wall,
The mirror reflects a face.
Don’t be beautiful,
But be happy and full,
Happiness makes you more beautiful.
A mirror is on the wall,
The mirror reflects a face.
Don’t be beautiful,
But be happy and full,
Happiness makes you more beautiful.

And I don’t know how to plough,
And I don’t know how to harrow.
When will I learn to sow well?
I don’t know how to drink,
And how to make a treat.
When will I learn to welcome fair people?

The tablecloth
That covers a table
Should have long fringe,
And may the guests at the table
For a long time live.

I opened up he window and looked out -
A heeled horse is tied to a fence,
And another one is tied to a fence.
But I didn’t expect guests, and I didn’t open the gates,
I didn’t think that they would come, 
But I didn’t expect guests, and I didn’t open the gates,
I didn’t think that they would come.

I’m thankful to a grey cuckoo,
It came flying and said ‘cuckoo’.
Thank you, dear guests,
That you have come to us,
Thank you, dear guests,
That you have come to us.